BY ANGELO MIRANDA and GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – The city government continues to take initiatives in sustaining the environmental needs of the metropolis for the benefit of the people.
On top of the priorities is the proposed Tree Park Network Project which will establish eco-forests in three districts namely: Iloilo Tree Park in Lanit, Jaro; Beach Forest in Boulevard, Molo; and Mangrove Eco-park in Hinactacan, La Paz.
According to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, aside from providing additional recreational facilities for the public and opportunities to bring people closer to nature to support efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the tree park project also aims to help mitigate the effects of climate change and restore biodiversity in the city.
“We continue to plant and provide more green spaces all over the city because we want to help fight climate change,” said Treñas. He added that there is a need to act as the effects of climate change can now be felt in the city, citing the frequent and higher water level of flooding in the metro especially during high tide.
“As we continuously make infrastructural developments in the metro, we envision compensating through equally building greens all over the city. As we persist to level up, we will also extend our efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change,” he added.
The planting activities of various tree species started at Beach Forest along the coast of Barangay Boulevard, Molo; city hall partnered with Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Globe.
Filling works are also being implemented in Barangay Lanit, Jaro to elevate the site suitable for planting trees and prevent flooding.
City hall partnered, too, with the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP)-Bahandi Chapter which creatively crafted the design of the tree park.
The promotion of the welfare of Ati people is included in the plans, making the initiative inclusive.
The added attractions include lagoons, art gallery and display center wherein the native products of IPs will be offered to visitors.
According to Executive Assistant for Environment Engr. Noel Hechanova, it was Treñas who initiated the intensified greening and massive tree-planting program all over the metro.
“A plan to connect the city’s plazas, esplanade and tree parks via a network of bicycle lanes is being developed. In this way, by connecting these important public facilities by green lanes we can truly call this project the city’s Tree Park Network,” Hechanova said.
The city’s bike lane, called the Iloilo City Network, is a safe, scenic and eco-friendly bike path and currently stretching 11 kilometers.
It initially runs from Barangay Sambag in Jaro up to the corner of the Diversion Road in front of the University of the Philippines – Visayas and has expanded by another eight kilometers with the University Loop.
It did not end there though. The Iloilo City government embarked on a bike lane linkage project to connect three major bike lane networks – Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue, the University Loop, and the 12-kilometer bikeable section of Iloilo River Esplanade. It was completed in August 2020 while the rest of the country was reeling from surgical lockdowns.
By September 2020, it again expanded the bike lanes this time connecting all the plazas and parks across the city from Plaza Libertad, the Sunburst Park, down to the district plazas of La Paz, Jaro, Mandurriao, Molo, and Villa, Arevalo.
The city also has “Instagrammable” stopovers with over 50 bike racks that were painted by 50 Ilonggo artists now scattered around the city which serve a dual function – bike parking and an art exhibit.
To note, the city government is also embarking on a massive rehabilitation of its district plazas to make them true people’s public spaces that are not only beautiful but also safe and promotes healthy urban living.
So far, the beautified Plaza Libertad and the Molo Plaza have already been opened to the public while the rehabilitation of Villa, Jaro, La Paz and Mandurriao plazas is ongoing.
La Paz’s plaza is also a home to a “blue koi lagoon” and “green butterfly garden” – city government’s partnership project with Global Business Power Corp.
Meanwhile, the tree parks vie to become an avenue for world-class architecture, design, and environmental conservation and may lead the city to greater international recognition.
It will feature innovations such as park programs to engage students, teachers and communities to learn about trees, forests and biodiversity, their importance and value.
The city’s open spaces are now being brought to a higher level of function and the tree parks will fulfill the purpose of promoting community stewardship of green spaces and to raise ecological awareness through education and outreach.
Each park will feature a theme distinct from one another, will host indoor exhibits, walkways or boardwalks for walking tours and areas for community activities.
The three-hectare Iloilo Tree Park will function as an arboretum or botanical garden that will feature a collection of different species of native trees and shrubs, to promote appreciation and conservation of native trees.
An activity center will be for the first inhabitants of Panay, the Ati, with several families now living in the community nearby, where it can hold discussions about the environment.
The eco-friendly attraction will feature an exhibit area, indigenous trees, Ati Livelihood Center, amphitheater, bee farm, and park trails.
The 1.6-hectare Beach Forest will be composed of an open cottage, sunset area, sunrise area, nursery, pavilion, and docking area where identified beach trees will be planted and preserved.
It will be complemented by indoor exhibits that will feature coastal plants, coastal marine life, and the city’s coastal environmental profile.
The 35-hectare Mangrove Eco-park will have a visitor’s learning center, gazebo orchidarium, pond, palmetum, boardwalk, arboretum, and bambusetum.
It is envisioned to be a learning and promotion center for the protection of mangroves.
The visitor center to be constructed will function as a mangrove exhibit center and will serve as a learning center.
The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) supervises the project in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6, Global Business Corporation, and other partner agencies.
These tree parks aim to restore biodiversity in the metropolis, not only through tree planting but also by ensuring that the species will be back in their natural habitat.
Aside from tree parks, the esplanades and the plazas’ restoration, the city government also continuously conduct tree planting at the floodway and major roads.
Treñas said the city has a dedicated team that only plant trees along the main roads, the floodways and open spaces everyday.
All these efforts are geared towards promoting plant and animal diversity, benefiting both present and future generations of the Ilonggo community./PN
